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A better, bluer Bangalore
The Green Bazaar, which brought together local communities and businesses as well as water experts, provided a fitting end to India Water Portal's celebrations of World Water Day 2014. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 10:26 PM

In honour of World Water Day 2014, the theme at the Green Bazaar, a community event run by The Alternative, was water. India Water Portal collaborated to add some 'blue' to the 'green'.

Green Bazaar in Bangalore
Catch water when it falls
Rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling are simple steps to achieve water sufficiency. India Water Portal along with local partners spread this message in Chennai on World Water Day. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 10:24 PM

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A temple tank in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu
The water-energy nexus
Meerut celebrated World Water Day with speakers talking about the connection between the two topics. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 10:20 PM

The theme of this year’s World Water Day was “energy-water nexus”. It was almost as if the topic was chosen keeping Western Uttar Pradesh in mind because the conflict between water and energy users in agriculture and industry has heightened here in the recent past.

Rise of tubewells in western UP (Source: DTE)
The importance of transparency and data management
World Water Day was celebrated in Raipur by bringing together many speakers who talked on the importance of sharing and disseminating information to truly serve society well. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 10:17 PM

On 22nd March 2014, Raipur celebrated World Water Day with senior government officials and officials from NGOs and other organisations presenting on the importance of NGOs in disseminating information to the people. They also highlighted the discrepancies in data collected between organisations and the need to improve on this if they were to make a difference to society. 

World Water Day at Raipur
Does tapping regional springs affect the Western Ghats?
Dr. Jared Buono, hydrologist at NGO Gram Pari, spoke of a project that helped revive springs in the Western Ghats at an event organised by IIT Mumbai and India Water Portal to mark World Water Day. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 10:08 PM

The Western Ghats are made of up basalt rocks, which were formed from lava flows. These rocks are also known as water buckets as they are able to retain a lot of water. This unique feature helps create springs. At an event organised by IIT Mumbai and India Water Portal to mark World Water Day, Dr. Jared Buono talked about how springs were revived in Panchgani with the help of spring boxes.

World Water Day at IIT-Bombay
And the 2014 UN ‘Water for Life’ award goes to …
... IWMI-Tata Water Policy Program, a project that focuses on water and energy, and throws light on how the fortunes of groundwater and energy economies are intertwined. Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 09:52 PM

IWMI-Tata Water Policy Program (ITP), a project that focusses on policy research in the co-management of energy & groundwater, has been awarded the 2014 UN ‘Water for life’ award!

Project leader Tushaar Shah with the award
When it rains, it stores!
In the four years since a programme called 'Mazhapolima', meaning bounty of rain, was launched in Thrissur, Kerala, the district has seen an increase in the quality and quantity of water in its wells. Posted on 25 Mar, 2014 09:03 PM

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Rainwater diverted into an open well in Thrissur
Deepor beel: Entangled in a net of dangers
Banning fishing in the beel has not only affected the sustenance of the Keot fishing community in Guwahati but it is also threatening the beel's very existence. Posted on 25 Mar, 2014 08:52 PM

“Posua botah”, he said. “The wind is blowing from the west now so we cannot take you to the beel to show you how we catch fish. This wind cleans the water and we won’t get fish. 'Bhatial botah', when the wind blows from the east, the water turns muddy and the fish come up to the surface to breathe. That’s the best time to fish”, he explained.

Deepor Beel awaits a fresh gush of life
Prevention is better than rehabilitation
Commonly understood steps in disaster management are response, relief and rehabilitation but there is no mention of prevention. Awareness and education is the key to bringing about this change. Posted on 25 Mar, 2014 08:50 PM

The Himalayas were born of continental shift when the Indian subcontinent challenged the larger Asian landmass. This tortured birth still continues making the region susceptible to landslides and earthquakes.

A room overlooking the Gori Ganga, Uttarakhand
Fluid rivers but concrete mindsets
Flooded rivers may be a problem in Bihar, but diverting them is not a solution; neither is building embankments. Example: Sitamarhi. Posted on 25 Mar, 2014 08:42 PM

The twin sisters:  Bihar is a land of fertile farms bearing sugarcane, wheat, rice, gram and pulses. Interspersed between the fields are venerable mango groves. Of Bihar's children, perhaps none is as universally loved as Sita. The village that she was born in -Sitamarhi- welcomed another daughter along with Sita.

The old course Lakhandei at Sitamarhi
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